Cotuit Center for the Arts Unites Artists with Cape Cod Community for Art Appreciation

With the mission to educate, entertain, illuminate and inspire the community, Cotuit Center for the Arts is a merging point in effort to make art accessible to all. The Cotuit, MA center brings together artists, performers, students and other members of the Cape Cod area community. According to Daniel Fontneau, Marketing Manager for Cotuit Center for the Arts, said the space is dynamic and picturesque.

"Cotuit Center for the Arts houses one of the most beautiful exhibition spaces on Cape Cod," Fontneau said. "The gallery is comprised of two levels, and the exhibits on display rotate approximately every four to six weeks."

Typically, the exhibit space hosts three separate shows simultaneously. Exhibits can include individual shows, group shows, or open-call juried exhibits. Local, regional and international artists are welcome to display their work at the facility.

On display from September 23 through October 28 is Paintings by Richard Whitten. Whitten, a Yale alum with an M.F.A. in painting from the University of California at Davis, has displayed his work in exhibit halls across the country. He describes his own work as representing the "existence of places and of 'objects of desire'" that can only be seen and imagined.

Alongside Whitten will be Matt Brand who uses textured metal plates to reflect three-dimensional images. Brand is the founder of Zintalgio Arts and said this exhibit is "more visible to your mind's eye than it is to a camera." The exhibit is called Phantasmagoria, inspired by horror theater.

Also held at the Cotuit Center for the Arts are classes and workshops for adults and children. Adults can attend drawing and painting classes, writing seminars, yoga, furniture painting and more. Kids can attend fairy tale theater, comic classes, ukulele lessons and more. There are also classes that are open to both adults and children, so parents are able to attend classes with their kids.

"We like to refer to the center as a 'welcoming hub,' a place where people in the community, as well as seasonal visitors, can come together to be inspired," Fontneau said.

Many of these classes, workshops and events are social opportunities for members of the community. According to Fontneau, the third Wednesday of every month is Wine and Music Wednesday where guests come together for wine tastings, live music and art appreciation. Immediately following the event, guests are welcomed to the Salon of Shorts, an open-mic opportunity for anyone to share poetry, essays, music or any other form of art of their own.

"Art feeds the soul," Fontneau said. "There is never a dull moment here. At any time, you'll find our spaces bustling with creativity. From both an artist and a patron perspective, Cotuit Center for the Arts is a local gem in the creative arts community."

Cotuit Center for the Arts is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. To find out more about what exhibits are currently being shown, find tickets to shows, and see what classes and workshops are happening, visit artsonthecape.org.